Frozen Treats A Bummer

With the warm weather holding out, it was the perfect weekend for another trip to the Toronto Zoo. DJ was wired with excitement - refusing to slow to a walk at any point - even running on the spot when we were "stopped" to check out the various animals.

It was the first time I've had to deny him a treat that he really wanted because of his peanut allergy. Even though we've got into a good groove over the last couple of months, it reminded me that there are going to be lots of tough times ahead; times when DJ may feel left out or deprived because he can't eat certain things.

This time it was ice cream. Every time DJ saw a kid with a cone or any kind of frozen treat, he asked for one.

While I already assumed all ice cream was out, it was disappointing to see items like Rockets and Lifesaver pops also crossed off our safe list thanks to the 'may contain' warning. Given that Nestle already has some certified peanut free chocolate products it would be nice to see them step up to the plate with some peanut-free frozen treat offerings.

In the end, after looking at the label of nearly every frozen treat available in the bin, I pried a crying DJ away and headed into the gift shop, were he got to pick out a new stuffed toy (A fish we've named Nemo) as consolation.

While I know I won't be able to buy him out of every situation where his peanut allergy puts a damper on his fun, while he's too young to really understand the 'why's' behind the 'no's' it's a strategy I may find myself using again - to the detriment of my wallet.